Practice

There are many ways of practice. Unfortunately most of these practices are not suitable for correctly transmitting buddhist teachings.

For that reason Lama Ole teaches different well-designed methods. The basic meditation is that on the 16th Karmapa. It contains symbols, visualisations and short textual teachings giving you access to all the basic buddhist teachings. You are shown how to clear your confusion, how to have your speech be the expression of the true nature of the mind, how to remove sickness from your body and why we are on the buddhist path. This meditation is practiced regularly and from the beginning of your path. Other more advanced meditations follow as you are ready to receive them.

The whole buddhist path is based on the practice of meditation. As you progress in your practice you begin to aquire the necessary basic qualities. You open yourself to the devotion to the teacher and carefully listen to what he tells you. You develop generosity and understand that contributions to the lineage serve to advance you toward the final goal of realization.
Patience helps when you encounter difficulties with yourself and other practitioners who are not yet fully realized. Diligence is the energy you put into the development of your center. You aquire the wisdom needed to tell the difference between the Diamondway-teachings and other false dharma that is meant to prevent your realization and lead you on a false path in the interest of some hierarchical organization where the leader and the persons high up in the hierarchy wish to exploit your true needs and teach you accordingly.

Also you get a deep understanding of the view of Diamondway. The view is the correct way to see the world and to behave in accordance with the dharma. The teachings on the view will guide you in all your decisions on how and where to contribute to the lineage, how to raise and educate your children, on who you should listen to and how to recognize who is truly living the teachings of Lama Ole and who is still very confused. They will give you a deep understanding of you own development and of the hindrances caused by your ego.

There are many different meditations which must be done in the correct order und constant supervision by your teacher Lama Ole. This may take some time but it is absolutely essential because otherwise it is not possible to reach realization.

The preliminary practice is called ngöndro. It is done in 4 consecutive stages and can be completed in no more than 5 years. It can be done much faster in just a few months but only if you can devote the whole day to practicing. Normally practicioners need to work for their living or go to school and possibly take care of their family. Under these normal conditions the ngöndro takes several years if practiced for a few hours daily.

The first stage is called prostrations. This involves actually bowing to and throwing yourself on the ground before a picture of the kagyu-refuge-tree which shows all the buddhas and protectors and personalities that made our lineage what it is today. You prostrate 111.111 times, thereby expressing humbleness before the whole lineage that has for many centuries helped people reach full realization.

The second stage is called diamond mind. It is a meditation and a 100-syllable matra that is recited 111.111 times. This completely cleanses old karma that would otherwise prevent you from progressing further on the path. You may then be thankful to Lama Ole for helping you release all obstacles before your further practice.

The third stage are the mandala-offerings where you learn give away things of value by offering rice and perfume. This opens you to the paramita generosity, which you can always show towards the lineage.

The fourth stage of the ngöndro is guru-yoga. Here you open your mind and develop full devotion to your teacher, which of course is Lama Ole. You firmly connect your mind to the teachings , thereby recognizing from your own experience that completely following the words of Lama Ole will lead you to full realization in just one lifetime.

The following years on the path you spend in meditation on either a guru of the lineage or on a yidam representing certain aspects of the buddha and of your mind. Lama Ole will give you instructions on your main practice and will also advise you if and when it is time to take up another practice.

At first this may seem like a big task but once you begin to see that you are doing all this for the Lama you will not any longer question it so much.